The Link Between Oral Sex and Cancer

Over the past few years there has been a serious increase in occurrences of cancers of the throat, tongue, and tonsils, especially among young people. And it looks like oral sex might be to blame.

"There's definitely a connection between these cancers and oral sex," said Jennifer Wider, MD, Cosmo Radio health expert. She explained that just as HPV can be passed from a guy to a woman during sex, the virus is also transmitted from his penis to her throat during oral sex.

The stats are definitely scary—and they're causing quite a bit of alarm in the blogosphere. But just because you've gone south on more than five dudes does not mean that you're doomed to get oral HPV. Yes, the rate of oral cancer is up and yes, the more oral sex partners you have, the higher your risk. But oral cancer is still incredibly rare among young women, Wider assured us.

As for prevention, health experts aren't sure whether getting the HPV vaccine protects against contracting the virus in one's mouth. But research is currently being conducted, according to Wider, and we may know soon whether or not shots like Gardasil will help stop the uptick in oral cancers.

Are you surprised to hear about the connection between oral cancer and oral sex?